| Is Illy a first choice 16:02 - Jul 15 with 5770 views | derbyhoop |
After 4 years or so when we've been reliant on Chair to provide our creativity, will he get in our first choice team, this coming season?
If we play 2 DCMs, we have Madsen, Varane and Morgan
Are we playing 2 or 3 ACMs? We will have Poku, Smyth, Vale, Dembele, Saito, possibly Sutton and Alameyhu. I'm not convinced Chair will start 30+ games [Post edited 15 Jul 16:03]
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| Is Illy a first choice on 16:10 - Jul 15 with 4335 views | BrianMcCarthy |
IMO, yes.
He's better than every one of those players. |  |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 16:10 - Jul 15 with 4335 views | TomS |
If he's fit and available for selection, he would start ahead of several of those attacking midfielders you mentioned. I'd like to see him in the centre of the three (I'm presuming we'll play a lot with one striker again) and link up more regularly with Madsen. That could be very pleasant to watch. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 16:40 - Jul 15 with 4195 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| Is Illy a first choice on 16:10 - Jul 15 by BrianMcCarthy |
IMO, yes.
He's better than every one of those players. |
On his day, you'd think, yeah! However, he's been blighted by injuries, clearly the rockafella thing hasn't helped, and we don't know what we've really got anymore.
Throw into the mix the fact that we've also got all these diddymen who, between them, haven't really amounted to a consistent hill of beans, and there in lies one side of the conundrum: WTF do we do with them all?
I say this because on the other side of the conundrum: what set-up do we need to play to maxise the clear and obvious threat posed by HRH King Richard and da Buzz?
For me, M. Jools has to build a team where the midfield can protect the defence more, support Mads, and supply HRH and da Buzz. Can Chair get back to his old self and fill a role in that midfield problem area?
As of today, Chair is one of several questions for QPR, not an obvious answer. |  |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 16:40 - Jul 15 with 4185 views | QPunkR |
Absolutely yes Chair's first choice. Last couple of seasons have been disrupted by injury but class is permanent and he's shown over so many years how reliable he is as a source of creativity [Post edited 15 Jul 16:41]
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| Is Illy a first choice on 16:53 - Jul 15 with 4115 views | HAYESBOY |
We played a lot of our games with two up top (Kone, Burrell) last season.
We only went one up top when injuries kicked in.
If everyone is fit ( ???? ) then does JS stick with this or is he playing with a 10?
IMO Chair is better at 10 than 11. If he plays at 10 then one of Kone or Burrell starts on the bench.
Just on Chair, unfortunately we have not see the best version of him for over a year. I love Chair, but I don't think he is automatic first choice anymore.
I hope he regains his form this season. |  |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 16:55 - Jul 15 with 4096 views | numptydumpty |
If we play Burrell and Kone up top, he will play less, but if its three behind one up top, he is selected every time he is fit and available.
And for me that three behind the lone marksman is Chair, Vale, Smyth and in that order also, as to who is first on the teamsheet.... |  |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 17:02 - Jul 15 with 4070 views | BklynRanger |
I started to say that I think the squad is at a stage now where he's no longer an automatic choice.
But that's mainly because we now have the option to play two up front with no real 10, and I prefer how Madsen progresses the ball.
But that still would allow us to put him on the left wing and let him cut in. He's still generally better than all our wingers, though there are times when a game needs a Smyth over Illy. I think the jury remains unfortunately out in terms of Poku, Dembele, and Koki, for a combination of injury/form reasons.
Or we play one of Kone or Burrell as first choice up front with Illy behind.
Or we go back to where we were in pre season last year where it looked like he was starting to take on more of a CM/AM role, I thought. And quite effectively until he got injured.
So yeah, after all that I think he is still a definite starter one way or another. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 17:03 - Jul 15 with 4071 views | daveB |
Depends on the system we play, I think he's still a key player for us but if we are gonna play 4-4-2 it's difficult to see where he plays |  | | |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 17:18 - Jul 15 with 3993 views | PlanetHonneywood |
We all seem to link everything to how JS sets us up. Would 4312 work (Chair behind the two strikers)?
Obvious problem, while we're blessed with 5'5" non-producing diddymen, we're nowhere near endowed with enough personnel to form a robust midfield for just two. | |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 17:22 - Jul 15 with 3979 views | LazyFan |
Chair is first name down for me.
He can play inside Left with Burrell and Kone up top, as Chair's work rate has always been massive.
His skill always unlocks defences, and with those two up top, he will get even more space to do it. Those three can rotate and cause havoc for defences. This leaves a luxury choice of Vale or Smyth on the right. One can also bring on Kolli for one of the front two later on and move Chair inside to really close out the middle when leading in the later stages of a game.
Who partners Madsen is the challenge now, as Madsen playing at 6 works but not as an 8, so we need a box-to-box midfielder who can get up and down and slot in as a DMC with Madsen to control the middle. Too often, teams swept through our middle with ease, and that cost the defence dearly. Varane does not get up and down enough and passes too much sideways or even back, so he does not create anything. Morgan is still learning his game and is not robust enough in the tackle for it. |  |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 18:24 - Jul 15 with 3816 views | Myke |
Goodness are we doing this again? |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 18:25 - Jul 15 with 3811 views | Jevlar |
Let’s not be silly, first name on the sheet, has to be Illy |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 19:06 - Jul 15 with 3723 views | DannytheR |
If he's even mostly fit, Chair is still the first name on the team for me.
I like Vale, who'd be the nearest thing in the squad to a replacement, but even in the 1-in-3 games where he performed, he didn't have the dynamism of Illy. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 19:39 - Jul 15 with 3644 views | davman |
| Is Illy a first choice on 18:25 - Jul 15 by Jevlar |
Let’s not be silly, first name on the sheet, has to be Illy |
All day.
The rest of you are NUTS.
If he stays fit, first name on the sheet.
Always running, great control, rarely wastes the ball and defensive attributes that those named by the OP can only dream of.
Mad; the lot of you!  |  |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 21:35 - Jul 15 with 3501 views | Boston |
I think Chair is a starter all day long if fit but, there's a but, he's not the impact player he was, other teams have worked him out, he needs to make a slight adjustment in his play. | |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 21:35 - Jul 15 with 3506 views | 1JD |
| Is Illy a first choice on 17:03 - Jul 15 by daveB |
Depends on the system we play, I think he's still a key player for us but if we are gonna play 4-4-2 it's difficult to see where he plays |
Dave you are normally the voice of reason.
Chair walks into this side at left midfield. He’s miles better than his competitors for that position, Saito and Smyth. | | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 12:40 - Jul 17 with 2926 views | thehat |
Not for me at the start of the season - I love him but think he will unbalance the team and is definitely not the player he once was. Great option of the bench but he should have to work his way back into the starting 11. | | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 13:29 - Jul 17 with 2838 views | stevec |
Whether it’s 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 Chair on the left and Vale on the right is the way to go.
Dembele/Poku/Saito need to up their games massively to even be in consideration. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 13:53 - Jul 17 with 2786 views | dmm |
| Is Illy a first choice on 13:29 - Jul 17 by stevec |
Whether it’s 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 Chair on the left and Vale on the right is the way to go.
Dembele/Poku/Saito need to up their games massively to even be in consideration. |
Don't forget Smyth. He had his best season for us last year. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 14:14 - Jul 17 with 2741 views | DavieQPR |
Lot of heart ruling heads methinks. Let's just see what pre season brings. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 14:15 - Jul 17 with 2737 views | stevec |
| Is Illy a first choice on 13:53 - Jul 17 by dmm |
Don't forget Smyth. He had his best season for us last year. |
Good point, felt I’d missed someone out! | | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 14:22 - Jul 17 with 2707 views | Stainrod |
| Is Illy a first choice on 12:40 - Jul 17 by thehat |
Not for me at the start of the season - I love him but think he will unbalance the team and is definitely not the player he once was. Great option of the bench but he should have to work his way back into the starting 11. |
The games he played last season he may not have LOOKED so good but his stats were actually. | | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 14:23 - Jul 17 with 2707 views | BrianMcCarthy |
I thought Chair's performance yesterday was encouraging.
First of all, he looked fit and free of injury.
Second of all, he looked sharp. A lot of really fast, intricate play came through him.
In those attacking positions, he remains our most creative, most urgent player.
He lost the ball a few times, but I always think that that's part of the deal with Chair - he will try a lot things, not all will come off.
Finally, I thought his work off the ball was good. | |
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| Is Illy a first choice on 15:14 - Jul 17 with 2610 views | NorthantsHoop |
Two years of injury and other issues are hopefully behind him, hoping he can have a great season and establish himself as a top Championship player again. We are much better with him than without him in my opinion. |  | | |
| Is Illy a first choice on 15:14 - Jul 17 with 2610 views | TheChef |
| Is Illy a first choice on 15:14 - Jul 17 by NorthantsHoop |
Two years of injury and other issues are hopefully behind him, hoping he can have a great season and establish himself as a top Championship player again. We are much better with him than without him in my opinion. |
Hopefully like having a new signing. |  |
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